See Ya Yanks

A few things I noticed about this weekend’s series with the Evil Empire:

It’s amazing how things have changed in Boston, especially with regards to the Yankees. The whole level of expectations had switched. I didn’t fret about losing the first game. I expect the Red Sox to win the division, and the bumps on the road don’t bother me. These April games no longer matter in the head to head. I don’t expect the head-to-head results to even come into play. Just like I don’t worry when the Celtics blow a game. I just assume that in the end, they’ll be on top. What the heck happened to Red Sox Nation as I knew it?

The Ortiz Jersey. Another example of how times have changed. Years ago, it was the Red Sox fans searching lakes for Babe’s piano in hopes of breaking a curse. Now, it’s not even Yankee fans, but the Yankees themselves. First Boss Jr calls for a Red Sox fan to be physically abused for attempting to curse the Yankees. Then, the Yankees authorize a construction crew to spend 5 hours of a Sunday digging up an Ortiz jersey buried in a concrete floor of the new stadium. I can’t think of any other example of just how much the roles have reversed. Is Cashman going to complain that the tentacles of Red Sox Nation extend even into the Bronx? Are Yankee fans going to be making offerings to the gods to lift the championship drought? It’s especially amusing considering all the superiority complexes the Yankee fans have had over the years. To think that the Yankee management would stoop to this is great.

Joe II won’t last long in New York if he keeps pitching to Manny Ramirez. I’m not a person who believes in the intentional walk as a rule. I do think that over the course of the season, the walk will hurt you at least as much as it helps you. But, in the case of Saturday’s game, one was definitely required. You can talk all you want about Mussina’s desire to go after Manny, or the guts it took to do so. The fact of the matter is that Manny owns Mussina. He already homered off him earlier in the game. Even the fact that Youkilis followed with and RBI hit of his own doesn’t excuse the boneheaded move. This isn’t Florida anymore.